Ye Guyi's father, Ye Wuya, had once taught at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, so she naturally knew the limits of what each Soul Ring could withstand.
In the plans her father had made for her, her First Soul Ring only needed to be around five hundred years old. After all, Ye Wuya's own First Soul Ring had been five hundred years old.
But after what had happened in the Evil Demon Forest, Ye Guyi had come to understand something.
Her father's plans had been made for her own good, but they weren't enough to help her grow into a strong person. If she wanted to become stronger, if she wanted the power to take revenge, then she had to challenge limits that ordinary people wouldn't dare touch!
With a foundation forged by a Thousand-Year Soul Ring as her first, she might already surpass ninety-nine percent of the Soul Masters on this continent. But in Ye Guyi's eyes, that still wasn't enough to make her a true powerhouse.
After all, the Second Soul Ring of the young master she followed was already ten thousand years old. If she wasn't strong enough in the future, wouldn't she become a burden?
Even if the young master was kind enough not to look down on her for her lack of strength, she would look down on herself.
There was danger. So what?
The moment she'd resolved to walk the path of strength, a perilous road had been laid before her. If she feared every challenge, she wasn't worthy of walking it!
At that moment, without even realizing it, Ye Guyi had begun to develop the heart of a strong person. She looked at Xu Tianming with a resolute gaze.
"I believe in you, benefactor. I'm willing to absorb that two-thousand-year Soul Ring!"
Pleased with her answer, Xu Tianming nodded. Then he suddenly felt that something wasn't quite right.
Right, the way she addressed him!
"I almost forgot. Guyi, since you've chosen to trust me, remember my name—Xu Tianming. From now on, you don't need to call me benefactor. Just call me by my name."
His words struck Ye Guyi deep in the heart.
She instinctively wanted to say something, but when the words reached her lips, her limited experience left her at a loss for how to express herself.
There she was, opening and closing her mouth in front of Xu Tianming, looking rather adorable.
"Why aren't you answering? Don't you want to?"
A mischievous impulse took hold of Xu Tianming, and he asked with feigned seriousness. Hearing that, Ye Guyi didn't have time to think. She hurriedly shook her head.
"No, that's not it. I... I'm willing!"
Satisfied with his little joke, Xu Tianming nodded and continued.
"Good. Then adjust your state of mind. Once you're ready, release your Martial Soul. I'll place my hand on your back and help you absorb the Soul Ring with my power. Remember to stay calm the whole time. No matter what happens, don't panic. At the critical moment, I'll guide you through what to do!"
Ye Guyi naturally agreed to Xu Tianming's plan without reservation. She immediately sat cross-legged on the spot. In just a little while, her breathing had steadied, and she released her Angel Martial Soul, which radiated a sacred aura.
The instant the Angel Martial Soul appeared, Mavuika and Columbina, inside the Mental Sea of Consciousness, both grew interested.
"We didn't have time to examine it closely in the Evil Demon Forest. Now that we can observe it up close... the Angel Martial Soul of this world really is strange. It's nothing like the angels in our world."
After Mavuika spoke, Columbina replied.
"After all, the angels of the Teyvat Continent were created by Phanes and given their powers and duties, while the angels of this world seem to have been born naturally."
The two women didn't bother to hide their conversation, but this time Xu Tianming had no intention of joining in.
After calming himself, he sat cross-legged behind Ye Guyi and placed his right hand on her back.
The moment his hand touched her, its cool sensation made Ye Guyi's body tremble. But she quickly forced herself to steady.
"I'm ready. We can begin."
At that, Xu Tianming activated the Soul Tool that stored Soul Rings and released the two-thousand-year Magic Flame Wolf Soul Ring.
As soon as the Soul Ring appeared, Ye Guyi followed Xu Tianming's instructions. She used her Angel Martial Soul to guide her Soul Power and drew the purple Soul Ring into her body.
The absorption went smoothly until the instant the Soul Ring entered her body. An unbearable sensation spread through Ye Guyi from head to toe.
Fortunately, a warm, scorching power entered her body from behind just in time, easing most of her pain. In only a moment, the pain turned into a pleasant warmth.
Ye Guyi's constitution was already strong enough to absorb a Soul Ring of around a thousand years on her own. With Mavuika's power assisting her, the refinement went far more easily than she'd imagined, aside from the initial moment.
An hour passed. Only after she had completely refined the two-thousand-year Soul Ring did Ye Guyi finally begin to believe she had actually done it.
But she didn't let success go to her head.
She quickly realized that Xu Tianming was responsible for all of it!
Without that warm, scorching power helping her bear most of the pressure, her body would likely have been on the verge of collapse not long after the Soul Ring entered her.
Her benefactor had not only saved her entire family from villains, but had also given her precious natural treasures to consume—and personally helped her absorb a two-thousand-year First Soul Ring!
Each of these deeds, taken alone, was a tremendous kindness that someone her age could never repay.
From that moment on, Ye Guyi silently swore to herself that she would spend her whole life repaying Xu Tianming's kindness with everything she had. Even if it cost her life, she would have no regrets!
The next day, at noon.
Feeling someone shake his arm, Xu Tianming slowly woke up. He looked to the side and saw Ye Guyi in her pajamas, holding his arm.
He remembered now.
After helping the girl absorb her First Soul Ring the previous night, Xu Tianming had begun to feel tired.
After all, this body was still young, and he needed to get enough sleep.
Before going to bed, though, he'd kept Ye Guyi in the room and told her she could share his bed.
His reason was that the bed was large, with plenty of room for two. Besides, it was too late to arrange a room for her, so she could make do for one night. He would take care of her living arrangements the next day, after they woke up.
The girl had been a little embarrassed by the arrangement, but in the end she'd nodded with a flushed face.
And so, Ye Guyi had slept in the same bed as Xu Tianming.
His body was too exhausted. After changing and lying down, Xu Tianming had only managed to say, "Remember to wake me before noon tomorrow."
Then his eyelids had grown heavy, and he'd fallen fast asleep.
Ye Guyi had been left sitting beside him, staring blankly at his delicate sleeping face, unsure what to do.
As for whether she'd done anything while Xu Tianming was asleep...
Only she, Mavuika, and Columbina in Xu Tianming's Mental Sea of Consciousness knew.
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